rightsizing Archives — Page 4 of 4

Tom Sighting’s View Of Rightsizing Your Retirement

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Meaningful, Rightsized

This week I will be out of town attending my first ever Blogging Conference. So when I recently read this article that Tom Sightings wrote for U.S. News Online explaining his view of rightsizing, I asked him if I could share it with all of you. I’ve always believed that rightsizing is individual to each of us and hearing different versions is helpful to us all. Thanks Tom for allowing me to share your perspective!

Rightsizing isn’t about sacrifice. It’s about finding the right fit for everything in your life.

According to a survey by the Demand Institute, almost half of Americans between ages 50 and 64 plan to move within the next five years or so. Some baby boomers — especially those who have been renting all their lives, or who never moved up from their starter house – actually plan to spend more on their homes in retirement. But more often than not, the baby boomer move will involve downsizing – trading in the old family home for smaller digs, perhaps in a less expensive neighborhood. [Read more…]

Adventures In Cohousing — It Is About Community And Shared Values

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Rightsized, Sustainable

Last weekend my husband Thom and I drove to Tucson, AZ to visit three thriving cohousing communities. As I wrote about in January, even though the concept of cohousing is still relatively young, it’s appeal is growing as others discover the benefits. Ever since I first heard about them, I recognized how many ways they mimic the advantages I find from rightsizing. After touring all three facilities, it is also evident that they embrace the core values of SMART*. Is cohousing a wave of the future? It likely depends on whether you value community, and if you see them as a path to living your values. [Read more…]

How Minimalism or Rightsizing Prepares You For Retirement

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized

Mom, Dad and I in Hawaii for their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

One of the stories I can vividly remember my father telling me years back was related to his pride at managing his money in retirement. At the time, both my father and mother lived on their social security and some modest savings held in a 401k. Dad frequently bragged that he lived better, traveled more, and seemed to have more fun than many of his friends who retired with big homes and generous pensions. From my perspective, at least at the time, their lifestyle seemed more humble and restricted than I felt necessary. Yet now, less than 20 years later, I recognize that their simple and minimal lifestyle afforded them tremendous benefits that millions of other “hope-to-be-retirees” could learn from—including myself. [Read more…]

7 Pitfalls To Avoid When Rightsizing Your Home

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized, Sustainable

A friend of mine is currently in the midst of selling her long-time family home and moving. Yet while I believe she “gets” the many benefits of rightsizing, I can tell after talking with her that several issues keep popping up that make her hesitant. That’s completely normal, because in many ways, rightsizing is contrary to what most of us have been taught. The good news is that once you know what to keep in mind, rightsizing not only becomes the easiest choice, it is also the one that leads to the greatest benefits.

What do we need to remember when it’s time to make a move? [Read more…]

RightSizing — Choosing Semi-Retirement Instead of Retired

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Rightsized, Sustainable

“If you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life.” ~Confucius

A good friend of mine plans to retire in the next couple of months. She’s earned it. After working at a challenging job for over 25 years, she’s more than ready to move on to something new. But underlying that excitement I detected a bit of worry about the uncertainty before her. That mixed message of elation and concern got me thinking about how Thom and I are approaching our future. What I realized was that in our quest to rightsize our lives, Thom and I have gradually slipped into what we are calling semi-retirement in a natural and stress-free way. While so many people our age are asking an all-or-nothing question about retirement, rightsizing right now might be the best solution of all.

[Read more…]

How To Reimagine A Right-Sized Life

By Kathy Gottberg
Filed under: Aware, Meaningful, Rightsized

Recently I was invited to join my first online book club through Facebook. The book to be discussed was Life Reimagined—Discovering Your New Life Possibilities. And while I was a bit skeptical about how a book club discussion through Facebook could be that helpful, this upbeat and practical book appeared to cover ideas I often read and write about—so I said yes. Now four weeks later I consider the book club experiment to be a relative success. But best of all, I discovered along the way some helpful ideas for us all to “reimagine” what I call a right-sized life. [Read more…]